The Art of Baking Cookies
by The Green Pilgrim
Summary: Celebrían teaches her children a very important lesson. Chapter two: In the Kitchen
1. Something Really Important

A/N: I finally decided to break away from one shots. Woohoo! So this will be three chapters. Or two chapters and an epilogue, if you will. w00t.

Disclaimer: If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs...

Note: Arwen is 12 and the twins are 123. As far as I know this is correct. Although Arwen appears her age I pictured Elladan and Elrohir as teenagers. This is probably not correct. So sue me.

The Art of Baking Cookies  
Chapter one: Something Really Important

Elrohir had been reading on the balcony outside his room when he heard the knock on his door. He knew who it was right away, for it was far from being a polite knock. Only one person in the entire House would give such a disrespectful knock when summoning one of the sons of Elrond...

"What do you want, Arwen?" he scowled as soon as he opened the door. His sister stood before him with her hands on her hips, her thin figure twisted in that terrible posture she insisted on using when there wasn't anyone around to impress. Apparently that had something to do with being young. It also probably has a great deal to do with being a brat, Elrohir scoffed inwardly.

His sister tapped her foot a few times before giving him a scrutinizing look. "_I _don't want anything. I was getting ready for Mother to show me something really important, and then she said you and Elladan have to come too."

That piqued his interest. Something really important? All he had planned for the afternoon was getting out of lessons by hiding in an old closet he and his brother had discovered the previous day. This would certainly prove more interesting.

"Well, if you insist," he said and stepped out to stand beside her. Arwen looked somewhat downtrodden that he had decided to come along and didn't bother covering up her expression when she asked,

"Where's Elladan?"

"Up a tree," Elrohir replied without thinking.

Arwen groaned at the old sarcastic saying, "_Elrohir_..."

"What? No, he really _is _in a tree. Spying on Mírithil when I last checked. You know how he is about her..."

Arwen couldn't suppress a giggle at picturing her brother in such a situation. She recovered her frown quickly and said, "Well, go get him and meet us in the kitchen."

Elrohir quirked an eyebrow, "The kitchen?"

Arwen shrugged and told him in a superior tone, "Yes. That's where the really important thing is." She turned on her heel and marched off leaving her brother to speculate on what could possibly be in store for him.

A/N: Really short, but that's what I get for splitting it up. More soon to come. Review! -cracks whip-


	2. In the Kitchen

A/N: All right, I lied. Make that three chapters and an epilogue. I really meant for this to cover the rest of the story, but somehow the chapter just ended and refused to continue. You can expect lots of cookie-baking madness in the next chapter, I promise. Review!

The Art of Baking Cookies  
Chapter two: In the Kitchen

Elrohir was beginning to get a sense of dread about whatever the really important thing in the kitchen was. This was mostly due to the difficult time he'd had convincing his brother to come along. He rubbed his sore backside absentmindedly and shot a glare to his right where Elladan walked obliviously beside him. He'd show him for pushing him out of a tree. Oh, would he show him...

This grudge was short lived, however. For the very moment they passed through the wide doorway into the kitchen the twins were met with a large explosion of flour right in their faces.

Sputtering and wiping the white power out of his eyes, Elrohir looked around wildly for the culprit. Both he and his brother were only minimally surprised to find their dear sister Arwen standing before them giggling like no tomorrow. She clutched an empty flour sack to her chest as she laughed, for the moment unaware of how it was marking her favorite purple gown.

The brothers groaned at each other and silently agreed the situation called for an impromptu tickle-attack. A laughing voice interrupted their plans before they could be set in motion.

"_There _you are," Celebrían called happily. She raised a delicate hand gracefully to her mouth for a moment, and when she removed it her smile was sufficiently subdued. Nothing could hide the laughter dancing in her eyes, however.

She came forward and lightly put her hands on her hips. "Where have you two been? I was nearly ready to start without you."

The twins stared up at her in disbelief. There they were, covered nearly head to toe with flour, and she wasn't even going to mention it? Not rebuke Arwen in the slightest? They scowled at each other briefly, simultaneously thinking along the lines of 'of course the baby of the family _never _gets in trouble!'

Also surprising was their mother's attire. It was oddly plain, the cloth used not nearly as elegant as she usually wore. It was something one would wear while working in the garden or... or the kitchen... she was wearing an apron... and where _did _Arwen get the flour from?

Deciding her brothers weren't going to answer the question any time soon, Arwen piped up gleefully, "Elladan was spying on Mírithil _again_. Elrohir had to go find him. I probably should have gone myself, these two can't spend two minutes with each other without getting into some sort of—"

"I was _not _spying!" Elladan shrieked. "I was... I was just resting, that's all!"

Even Elrohir couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease his brother, "And she just _happened _to be beneath you, right?" He raised an eyebrow. Elladan was growing rather red in the face.

Celebrían watched in amusement as her children bickered. She found their antics to be a relief from the everyday peacefulness of Rivendell. But a glance out the window showed that the day was growing later, and if they didn't hurry they wouldn't finish the task at hand.

"Children," she began sternly. Their arguing stopped immediately as three faces turned to smile at her innocently. "I've asked you here to teach you a very important lesson," she began. Elladan spoke before she could continue.

"A lesson?" he groaned. "I thought this was getting us _out _of lessons. We've got enough of those to worry about as it is!" He muttered to himself briefly- something about Glorfindel and geography.

Celebrían did her best to continue to look serious. "This is a different kind of lesson, Elladan. A very important lesson. It has been put off for far too long. I can only hope I'm not too late as it is..."

The three children glanced at each other nervously.

"Today," Celebrían continued, speaking slowly so as to draw out the suspense, "I'm going to teach you how to bake cookies."


End file.
